Methods And Systems For Securing VPN Cloud Servers

ABSTRACT

The present application describes a method including a step of sending a request to a cloud provider to create a server on a cloud. The method also includes a step of receiving a notification from the cloud provider the server is available on the cloud. The method also includes a step of reviewing, via a graphical user interface (GUI), a continuously updated list of available servers provided by the cloud provider and another cloud provider. The method even also includes a step of reviewing, via the GUI, a continuously updated list of users in an enterprise to be matched with the available servers. The method further includes a step of determining, based on one of the users and the continuously updated list of available servers, one of the available servers to embed a virtual private network (VPN) service. The method even further includes a step of embedding the determined available server with the VPN service.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/591,774, filed Oct. 3, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/275,988, filed Sep. 26, 2016 (now U.S. Pat. No.10,484,428), which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/347,705, filed Jun. 9, 2016, the entire disclosuresof both of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth intheir entirety herein.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

This application is directed to systems and methods for enhancingsecurity in virtual private networks (VPNs). In particular, theapplication is directed to systems and methods for enhancing security inVPN cloud servers.

2. Related Art

VPNs have become increasingly popular over the last decade. Inparticular, VPNs ensure privacy and data security in corporations,organization and the government. VPNs are generally known as privatenetworks that extend across a public network or the internet. One of themain roles of a VPN is to create an encrypted connection, e.g., tunnel,over a less secure network. As a result, users can securely send andreceive information across different networks as if their computingdevices were directly connected to the same private network.

Hackers have become quite adept at monitoring and hacking activity ofusers over a VPN. Hackers are capable of viewing a static VPN IP addressand conducting traffic analysis thereon. In turn, hackers can correlatethe static VPN IP address to a specific user and/or the associatedenterprise. VPN servers including these static VPN IP addresses may becompromised. Thus, they become easy targets for attacks and singlepoints of failure.

What is desired in the art is a system and method for enhancing thesecurity of VPN cloud servers.

What is also desired is a system and method that reduces the likelihoodof a VPN cloud server being attacked or comprised by a hacker.

SUMMARY

The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the applicationdirected to enhancing security in VPN networks.

One aspect of the application is directed to a computer-implementedmethod. The method includes a step of sending a request to a cloudprovider to create a server on a cloud. The method also includes a stepof receiving a notification from the cloud provider the server isavailable on the cloud. The method also includes a step of reviewing,via a graphical user interface (GUI), a continuously updated list ofavailable servers provided by the cloud provider and another cloudprovider. The method even also includes a step of reviewing, via theGUI, a continuously updated list of users in an enterprise to be matchedwith the available servers. The method further includes a step ofdetermining, based on one of the users and the continuously updated listof available servers, one of the available servers to embed a virtualprivate network (VPN) service. The method even further includes a stepof embedding the determined available server with the VPN service.

Another aspect of the application is directed to a computer-readablemedium including a set of non-transitory instructions capable of beingexecuted by a process. The executed instructions by the processoreffectuate receiving a notification from a cloud provider that a serveris available on a cloud. The executed instructions by the processor alsoeffectuate reviewing, via a graphical user interface (GUI), acontinuously updated list of available servers provided by the cloudprovider and another cloud provider. The executed instructions by theprocessor even also effectuate reviewing, via the GUI, users in anenterprise to be matched with the available servers. The executedinstructions by the processor further effectuate determining, based onan activity type of one of the users and the continuously updated listof available servers, one of the available servers to embed a virtualprivate network (VPN) service. The executed instructions by theprocessor even further effectuate embedding the determined availableserver with the VPN service.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments inorder that the detailed description thereof herein may be betterunderstood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of theinvention that will be described below and which will form the subjectmatter of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate a fuller understanding of the invention,reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which likeelements are referenced with like numerals. These drawings should not beconstrued as limiting the invention and intended only to beillustrative.

FIG. 1A illustrates a machine-to-machine (M2M) or internet of things(IOT) communication system according to an embodiment of theapplication.

FIG. 1B illustrates a service M2M service platform according to anembodiment of the application.

FIG. 1C illustrates a system diagram of an exemplary M2M deviceaccording to an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 1D illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computing systemaccording to an embodiment of the application.

FIG. 2 illustrates a use case of a compromised enterprise network.

FIG. 3 illustrates a comparison of conventional architectures with anexemplary embodiment of the application.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of architecture of theapplication.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a graphical user interfacethat is used by a VPN service provider according to the application.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a technique employed by a VPN serviceprovider according to the application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments orembodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced andcarried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract,are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting.

Reference in this application to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “oneor more embodiments,” or the like means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Theappearances of, for example, the phrases “an embodiment” in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutuallyexclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are describedwhich may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by the other.Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirementsfor some embodiments but not by other embodiments.

The present application describes techniques and systems for enhancingsecurity in a network. In particular, the techniques involve embedding aVPN service on a cloud server in a dynamic fashion in order to ensureincreased security protection from unwanted cyber-attacks. Inparticular, a cloud provider, e.g., internet hosting service (IHs),spawns a server based upon a dynamic request from a VPN serviceprovider. Since the spawned servers include new IP addresses, there isno distinct set of IP addresses for hackers to monitor or attack. In sodoing, the overall security of the network is improved over existingarchitectures employing VPN servers.

General Architecture

FIG. 1A is a diagram of an exemplary machine-to machine (M2M), Internetof Things (IoT), or Web of Things (WoT) communication system 10 in whichone or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. Generally, M2Mtechnologies provide building blocks for the IoT/WoT, and any M2Mdevice, gateway or service platform may be a component of the IoT/WoT aswell as an IoT/WoT service layer, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the M2M/IoT/WoT communication system 10 includes acommunication network 12. The communication network 12 may be a fixednetwork, e.g., Ethernet, Fiber, ISDN, PLC, or the like or a wirelessnetwork, e.g., WLAN, cellular, or the like, or a network ofheterogeneous networks. For example, the communication network 12 maycomprise of multiple access networks that provides content such asvoice, data, video, messaging, broadcast, or the like to multiple users.For example, the communication network 12 may employ one or more channelaccess methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), timedivision multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access(FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and thelike. Further, the communication network 12 may comprise other networkssuch as a core network, the Internet, a sensor network, an industrialcontrol network, a personal area network, a satellite network, a homenetwork, or an enterprise network for example. An enterprise networkwill be used in this application to include a satellite network,corporate network and/or home network.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the M2M/IoT/WoT communication system 10 may includethe Infrastructure Domain and the Field Domain. The InfrastructureDomain refers to the network side of the end-to-end M2M deployment, andthe Field Domain refers to the area networks, usually behind an M2Mgateway. The Field Domain includes M2M gateways 14, such as a ServiceCapability Server (SCS) with a proxy, and terminal devices 18, such asUE devices. It will be appreciated that any number of M2M gatewaydevices 14 and M2M terminal devices 18 may be included in theM2M/IoT/WoT communication system 10 as desired. Each of the M2M gatewaydevices 14 and M2M terminal devices 18 are configured to transmit andreceive signals via the communication network 12 or direct radio link.The M2M gateway device 14 allows wireless M2M devices, e.g., cellularand non-cellular as well as fixed network M2M devices, e.g., PLC, tocommunicate either through operator networks, such as the communicationnetwork 12 or direct radio link. For example, the M2M devices 18 maycollect data and send data, via the communication network 12 or directradio link, to an M2M application 20 or M2M devices 18. The M2M devices18 may also receive data from the M2M application 20 or an M2M device18. Further, data and signals may be sent to, and received from, the M2Mapplication 20 via an M2M service layer 22, as described below. M2Mdevices 18 and gateways 14 may communicate via various networksincluding, cellular, WLAN, WPAN, e.g., Zigbee, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth,direct radio link, and wireline for example.

Referring to FIG. 18, the illustrated M2M service layer 22 in the fielddomain provides services for the M2M application 20, M2M gateway devices14, and M2M terminal devices 18 and the communication network 12. Itwill be understood that the M2M service layer 22 may communicate withany number of M2M applications, M2M gateway devices 14, such as forexample transit common service entities (CSEs), M2M terminal devices 18,such as host CSEs and Originators, as well as communication networks 12as desired. The M2M service layer 22 may be implemented by one or moreservers, computers, or the like. The M2M service layer 22 providesservice capabilities that apply to M2M terminal devices 18, M2M gatewaydevices 14 and M2M applications 20. The functions of the M2M servicelayer 22 may be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, the M2Mservice layer 22 could be implemented in a web server, in the cellularcore network, in the cloud, etc.

Similar to the illustrated M2M service layer 22, there is the M2Mservice layer 22′ in the Infrastructure Domain. M2M service layer 22′provides services for the M2M application 20′ and the underlyingcommunication network 12 in the infrastructure domain. M2M service layer22′ also provides services for the M2M gateway devices 14 and M2Mterminal devices 18 in the field domain. It will be understood that theM2M service layer 22′ may communicate with any number of M2Mapplications, M2M gateway devices and M2M terminal devices. The M2Mservice layer 22′ may interact with a service layer by a differentservice provider. The M2M service layer 22′ may be implemented by one ormore servers, computers, virtual machines, e.g., cloud/compute/storagefarms, etc., or the like.

Referring also to FIG. 1B, the M2M service layer 22 and 22′ provide acore set of service delivery capabilities that diverse applications andverticals can leverage. These service capabilities enable M2Mapplications 20 and 20′ to interact with devices and perform functionssuch as data collection, data analysis, device management, security,billing, service/device discovery etc. Essentially, these servicecapabilities free the applications of the burden of implementing thesefunctionalities, thus simplifying application development and reducingcost and time to market. The service layer 22 and 22′ also enables M2Mapplications 20 and 20′ to communicate through various networks 12 and12′ in connection with the services that the service layer 22 and 22′provide.

The M2M applications 20 and 20′ may include applications in variousindustries such as, without limitation, transportation, health andwellness, connected home, energy management, asset tracking, andsecurity and surveillance. As mentioned above, the M2M service layer,running across the devices, gateways, and other servers of the system,supports functions such as, for example, data collection, devicemanagement, security, billing, location Tracking/geo-fencing,device/service discovery, and legacy systems integration, and providesthese functions as services to the M2M applications 20 and 20′.Moreover, the M2M service layer may also be configured to interface withother devices such as UEs, service capability servers (SCSs) andmobility management entities (MMEs) as discussed in this application andillustrated in the figures.

The service layer is a software middleware layer that supportsvalue-added service capabilities through a set of ApplicationProgramming Interfaces (APIs) and underlying networking interfaces. ETSIM2M's service layer is referred to as the Service Capability Layer(SCL). The SCL may be implemented within an M2M device (where it isreferred to as a device SCL (DSCL)), a gateway (where it is referred toas a gateway SCL (GSCL)) and/or a network node (where it is referred toas a network SCL (NSCL)). The one M2M service layer supports a set ofCommon Service Functions (CSFs), e.g., service capabilities. Aninstantiation of a set of one or more particular types of CSFs isreferred to as a Common Services Entity (CSE), such as a SCS which maybe hosted on different types of network nodes, e.g., infrastructurenode, middle node, application-specific node

FIG. 1C is a system diagram of an exemplary M2M device 30, such as a M2Mterminal device 18 or an M2M gateway device 14 for example. As shown inFIG. 1C, the M2M device 30 may include a processor 32, a transceiver 34,a transmit/receive element 36, a speaker/microphone 38, a keypad 40, adisplay/touchpad/indicator(s) 42, non-removable memory 44, removablememory 46, a power source 48, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset50, and other peripherals 52. The display may further include agraphical user interface. It will be appreciated that the M2M device 30may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements whileremaining consistent with an embodiment. The M2M device 30 may also beemployed with other devices, including for example originators andhosting/transit CSEs as described in this application and as illustratedin the figures.

The processor 32 may be a general purpose processor, a special purposeprocessor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), aplurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in associationwith a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine,and the like. The processor 32 may perform signal coding, dataprocessing, power control, input/output processing, and/or any otherfunctionality that enables the M2M device 30 to operate in a wirelessenvironment. The processor 32 may be coupled to the transceiver 34,which may be coupled to the transmit/receive element 36. While FIG. 1Cdepicts the processor 32 and the transceiver 34 as separate components,it will be appreciated that the processor 32 and the transceiver 34 maybe integrated together in an electronic package or chip. The processor32 may perform application-layer programs, e.g., browsers, and/or radioaccess-layer (RAN) programs and/or communications. The processor 32 mayperform security operations such as authentication, security keyagreement, and/or cryptographic operations, such as at the access-layerand/or application layer for example.

The transmit/receive element 36 may be configured to transmit signalsto, or receive signals from, an M2M service platform 22. For example, inan embodiment, the transmit/receive element 36 may be an antennaconfigured to transmit and/or receive RF signals. The transmit/receiveelement 36 may support various networks and air interfaces, such asWLAN, WPAN, cellular, and the like. In an embodiment, thetransmit/receive element 36 may be an emitter/detector configured totransmit and/or receive IR, UV, or visible light signals, for example.In yet another embodiment, the transmit/receive element 36 may beconfigured to transmit and receive both RF and light signals. It will beappreciated that the transmit/receive element 36 may be configured totransmit and/or receive any combination of wireless or wired signals.

In addition, although the transmit/receive element 36 is depicted inFIG. 1C as a single element, the M2M device 30 may include any number oftransmit/receive elements 36. More specifically, the M2M device 30 mayemploy MIMO technology. Thus, in an embodiment, the M2M device 30 mayinclude two or more transmit/receive elements 36, e.g., multipleantennas, for transmitting and receiving wireless signals.

The transceiver 34 may be configured to modulate the signals that are tobe transmitted by the transmit/receive element 36 and to demodulate thesignals that are received by the transmit/receive element 36. As notedabove, the M2M device 30 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, thetransceiver 34 may include multiple transceivers for enabling the M2Mdevice 30 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as UTRA and IEEE802.11, for example.

The processor 32 may access information from, and store data in, anytype of suitable memory, such as the non-removable memory 44 and/or theremovable memory 46. The non-removable memory 44 may includerandom-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or anyother type of memory storage device. The removable memory 46 may includea subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a securedigital (SD) memory card, and the like. In other embodiments, theprocessor 32 may access information from, and store data in, memory thatis not physically located on the M2M device 30, such as on a server or ahome computer.

The processor 32 may receive power from the power source 48, and may beconfigured to distribute and/or control the power to the othercomponents in the M2M device 30. The power source 48 may be any suitabledevice for powering the M2M device 30. For example, the power source 48may include one or more dry cell batteries, e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd),nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion),etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, and the like.

The processor 32 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 50, which isconfigured to provide location information, e.g., longitude andlatitude, regarding the current location of the M2M device 30. It willbe appreciated that the M2M device 30 may acquire location informationby way of any suitable location-determination method while remainingconsistent with an embodiment.

The processor 32 may further be coupled to other peripherals 52, whichmay include one or more software and/or hardware modules that provideadditional features, functionality and/or wired or wirelessconnectivity. For example, the peripherals 52 may include anaccelerometer, an e-compass, a satellite transceiver, a sensor, adigital camera (for photographs or video), a universal serial bus (USB)port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands freeheadset, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, adigital music player, a media player, a video game player module, anInternet browser, and the like.

FIG. 1D is a block diagram of an exemplary computing system 90 on which,for example, the M2M service platform 22 of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B may beimplemented. As will be described in more detail below, the computingsystem 90 may be, for example, employed on the VPN service provider, adynamically generated server or a policy controller of an enterprisenetwork. Computing system 90 may comprise a computer or server and maybe controlled primarily by computer readable instructions, which may bein the form of software, wherever, or by whatever means such software isstored or accessed. Such computer readable instructions may be executedwithin central processing unit (CPU) 91 to cause computing system 90 todo work. In many known workstations, servers, and personal computers,central processing unit 91 is implemented by a single-chip CPU called amicroprocessor. In other machines, the central processing unit 91 maycomprise multiple processors. Coprocessor 81 is an optional processor,distinct from main CPU 91 that performs additional functions or assistsCPU 91. CPU 91 and/or coprocessor 81 may receive, generate, and processdata related to the disclosed systems and methods for embedded semanticnaming, such as queries for sensory data with embedded semantic names.

In operation, CPU 91 fetches, decodes, and executes instructions, andtransfers information to and from other resources via the computer'smain data-transfer path, system bus 80. Such a system bus connects thecomponents in computing system 90 and defines the medium for dataexchange. System bus 80 typically includes data lines for sending data,address lines for sending addresses, and control lines for sendinginterrupts and for operating the system bus. An example of such a systembus 80 is the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus.

Memory devices coupled to system bus 80 include random access memory(RAM) 82 and read only memory (ROM) 93. Such memories include circuitrythat allows information to be stored and retrieved. ROMs 93 generallycontain stored data that cannot easily be modified. Data stored in RAM82 can be read or changed by CPU 91 or other hardware devices. Access toRAM 82 and/or ROM 93 may be controlled by memory controller 92. Memorycontroller 92 may provide an address translation function thattranslates virtual addresses into physical addresses as instructions areexecuted. Memory controller 92 may also provide a memory protectionfunction that isolates processes within the system and isolates systemprocesses from user processes. Thus, a program running in a first modecan access only memory mapped by its own process virtual address space;it cannot access memory within another process's virtual address spaceunless memory sharing between the processes has been set up.

In addition, computing system 90 may contain peripherals controller 83responsible for communicating instructions from CPU 91 to peripherals,such as printer 94, keyboard 84, mouse 95, and disk drive 85.

Display 86, which is controlled by display controller 96, is used todisplay visual output generated by computing system 90. Such visualoutput may include text, graphics, animated graphics, and video. Display86 may also include a graphical user interface as will be shown in FIG.5. Display 86 may be implemented with a CRT-based video display, anLCD-based flat-panel display, gas plasma-based flat-panel display, or atouch-panel. Display controller 96 includes electronic componentsrequired to generate a video signal that is sent to display 86. Display86, may display sensory data in files or folders using embeddedsemantics names. Further, computing system 90 may contain networkadaptor 97 that may be used to connect computing system 90 to anexternal communications network, such as network 12 of FIG. 1A and FIG.1B.

Use Case

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary use case of enterprise networkvulnerabilities. In FIG. 2, steps are presented by a number encapsulatedin a circle. Specifically, a hacker gains access to information withinan enterprise network 200. For example, a hacker may be researchingtargets via the internet to detect vulnerabilities in one or moreorganizations in order to infiltrate their network (step 1). This motiveis most likely for financial gain, trade secrets or militaryinformation.

The hacker monitors and cross-correlates an organization's internetactivity. In conventional systems however, IP addresses remain static.This facilitates easier monitoring of corporate activity by hackers.

FIG. 3 illustrates the benefits of the novel obfuscation technology foroutbound traffic providing enhanced security in comparison toconventional architectures. For example, scenario 1 illustrates acorporate user accessing the Internet via a specific IP address whenthere is no VPN solution. The corporate user may be performing Internetresearch for an acquisition that needs to remain confidential. As aresult, a hacker can see the original IP address of the corporationmaking it easy to monitor corporate activity. This can ultimately resultin a cyber-attack as described in the use case illustrated in FIG. 2.

Scenario 2 in FIG. 3 describes an example of a corporate user accessingthe Internet to perform research similar to scenario 1. The enterprisenetwork has a conventional corporate VPN solution. Specifically, the VPNis managed by a VPN provider which generates an IP address through whichthe corporate user accesses the Internet. In this example, a hacker cansee a static VPN IP address. The hacker can easily correlate the VPN IPaddress to a specific corporation. In so doing, the hacker will targetthe corporate for a cyber-attack as shown in FIG. 2.

Scenario 3 in FIG. 3 describes an exemplary embodiment of theapplication. In contrast with scenario 2, scenario 3 provides a VPNserver with a dynamic IP address from a VPN service provider to theenterprise. In an embodiment, VPN servers are dynamically launched withnew IP addresses based upon predetermined conditions. This securityfeature protects against IP address attribution. This in turn reducesthe impact of servers being attacked or compromised. In addition,exhaustive efforts would be required to cross-correlate corporateactivity.

Cloud Computing

Generally, cloud computing resources are delivered as a service over anetwork connection including but not limited to the Internet. Cloudcomputing is therefore a type of computing that relies on sharing a poolof physical and/or virtual resources, rather than deploying local orpersonal hardware and software. One of the key characteristics of cloudcomputing is the flexibility that it offers and one of the ways thatflexibility is offered is through scalability. This refers to theability of a system to adapt and scale to changes in workload. Cloudtechnology allows for the automatic provision and de-provision ofresource as and when it is necessary, thus ensuring that the level ofresource available is as closely matched to current demand as possible.That is, the end user usually pays only for the resource they use and soavoids the inefficiencies and expense of any unused capacity.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is one of the three fundamentalservice models of cloud computing alongside Platform as a Service (PaaS)and Software as a Service (SaaS). Specifically, IaaS is specificallythat of virtualized hardware, e.g., computing infrastructure. Thedefinition includes such offerings as virtual server space, networkconnections, bandwidth, IP addresses and load balancers. Physically, thepool of hardware resource is pulled from a multitude of servers andnetworks usually distributed across numerous data centers, all of whichthe cloud provider is responsible for maintaining. The client, on theother hand, is given access to the virtualized components in order tobuild their own IT platforms.

Private Cloud

A private cloud is a particular model of cloud computing that involves adistinct and secure cloud based environment in which only the specifiedclient can operate. As with other cloud models, private clouds willprovide computing power as a service within a virtualized environmentusing an underlying pool of physical computing resource. Here, the poolof resources is only accessible by a single organization providing thatorganization with greater control and privacy.

Traits that characterize private clouds include the ring fencing of acloud for the sole use of one organization and higher levels of networksecurity. By contrast, a public cloud has multiple clients accessingvirtualized services which all draw their resource from the same pool ofservers across public networks. Private cloud services draw theirresource from a distinct pool of physical computers but these may behosted internally or externally and may be accessed across privateleased lines or secure encrypted connections via public networks.

The added security offered by the ring fenced cloud model is ideal forany organization, such as for example an enterprise, that needs to storeand process private data or carry out sensitive tasks. For example, aprivate cloud service could be utilized by a financial company that isrequired by regulation to store sensitive data internally and who willstill want to benefit from some of the advantages of cloud computingwithin their business infrastructure, such as on demand resourceallocation.

Dynamic VPN Cloud Server

According to an aspect of the application, a novel technique andarchitecture is provided for enhancing security on a network. FIG. 4illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the application. Specifically asystem 400 is shown representing an enterprise network 401, a VPNservice provider 425 and a cloud provider 430. The enterprise network401 includes equipment 401 a, b, c and d. The user equipment may includeone or more servers or storage 410 a, personal computers 410 b, tablets410 c, and handset devices 410 d. The features of the user equipment aredescribed in detail above in regard to FIG. 1C.

Users on user equipment connect to the Internet via gateway/router 420in the enterprise network 401. More specifically, users access theinternet through a VPN server provided to the enterprise network via aservice provider 425.

In an embodiment, the cloud provider 430, otherwise known as an internethosting service (IHS), spawns a cloud server. An IHS is a service thatruns Internet servers, allowing organizations and individuals to servecontent to the Internet. There are various levels of service and variouskinds of services offered. A common kind of hosting is web hosting.

Most IHSs 430 offer a combination of services. Generic kinds of Internethosting provide a server where the clients can run anything they want(including web servers and other servers) and have Internet connectionswith good upstream bandwidth. Examples of cloud providers include Amazonweb service s 431, Microsoft 432, and Google 433. The servers generatedby each of the cloud providers are represented by square boxes.

According to an embodiment, the cloud server is generally spawned upon arequest from the VPN service provider 425. The VPN service provider mayalso be referred to as the proxy server or simply service provider inthis application. Cloud servers generally operate in the same way asphysical servers. However, clients rent virtual server space rather thanrenting or purchasing physical servers.

Virtual cloud servers are often paid for by the hour depending on thecapacity required at any particular time. In cloud hosting, resourcescan be scaled up or scaled down accordingly, making it more flexibleand, therefore, more cost-effective. When there is more demand placed onthe servers, capacity can be automatically increased to match thatdemand without needing to pay on a permanent basis.

Unlike dedicated servers, cloud servers can be run on a hypervisor. Therole of a hypervisor is to control the capacity of operating systems soit is allocated where needed. With cloud hosting, there are multiplecloud servers which are available to each particular client. This allowscomputing resources to be dedicated to a particular client if and whenit is necessary. Where there is a spike in traffic, additional capacitywill be temporarily accessed by a website, for example, until it is nolonger required. Cloud servers also offer more redundancy. If one serverfails, others will take its place.

According to an embodiment, the VPN service provider 425 receives anotification from the cloud provider 430 that the cloud server has beengenerated. Subsequently, the VPN provider embeds the dynamic server witha VPN. The IP address on the newly created server is distinct from allother IP addresses. The dynamic server may also include other credentialmaterial. For example, the credential material may include a usernameand password.

According to an embodiment, the dynamically generated VPN server maylast for a finite period of time. The duration may be fixed or variable.In so doing, hackers have a reduced risk of monitoring activityassociated with an IP address. For example, the finite period may be 10minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, 50 minutes or 1 hour. Thefinite period may also be any time ranging between 1 and 24 hours. Insome embodiments, the finite period may be any time ranging from 24hours to 72 hours. In another embodiment, the finite period isconfigurable by the enterprise 401 or the service provider 425. FIG. 5illustrates a graphical user interface of a VPN service providerdetermining the duration of the finite period.

In another embodiment, the dynamically generated VPN server may lastuntil a predetermined condition is met. For example, the condition maybe related to a specific activity. The activity may include inactivity,logging on or logging off. For example, if the user is inactive for acertain amount of time, the session on the dynamic server may end. A newsession may be initiated in its place, based on enterprise policies.This is completed in a seamless fashion that is transparent to the userthough enhances security.

In another embodiment, the activity may include visiting specificwebsites considered more susceptible to cyber-attacks. For instance, ifthe user is performing research in a field heavily monitored by hackers,the frequency at which the server is replaced with a new server (and newIP address) will increase.

The predetermined condition may also be related to load balancingrequirements. For example, policies may be set by the policy controller410 whereby only up to 2 users, or X amount of data may be able to gothrough particular dynamically created VPN server to access theInternet. This is shown, for example in FIG. 4, by the dotted line 401 crepresentative of a data request from a user on a tablet, and the dashedline 401 d representative of a data request from a user on a tablet.These users may able to access the internet by having their requestsrouted through the gateway router 420 to the dynamically generatedserver hosted by IHS 430 a.

In another embodiment, the load balancing requirement may be set up suchthat different activity types are sent to specific cloud servers. Forexample, the server hosted by IHS 430 a may be related to web traffic.Moreover, the server hosted by IHS 430 b may be related to voicetraffic. Further, the server hosted by IHS 430 c may be related to videotraffic.

In yet another embodiment, round-robin load balancing may be employedfor distributing client requests across a group of servers. Theround-robin technique forwards a client request to each server in turngoing down a list. When it reaches the end of the list, the loadbalancer loops back and goes down the list again (sends the next requestto the first listed server, the one after that to the second server, andso on). In an embodiment, weighted round robin may be employed. Here, aweight is assigned to each server based on criteria chosen by the siteadministrator. One criterion may be the server's traffic-handlingcapacity. The higher the weight, the larger the proportion of clientrequests the server receives. In yet another embodiment, dynamic roundrobin may be employed. Here, a weight is assigned to each serverdynamically, based on real-time data about the server's current load andidle capacity.

In yet another embodiment, the enterprise network 401 may include a VPNpolicy controller 415. The VPN policy controller 415 sets policies forthe enterprise network in terms of how users access the Internet. In anembodiment, the VPN policy controller 415 may request the VPN serviceprovider to create a cloud server for a particular user in theenterprise to access the internet. This is illustrated in FIG. 4 via thedotted, lined arrow extending between the policy controller 415 and theVPN service provider 425. According to the application, the policycontroller 415 may be housed in the gateway router 420. In anotherembodiment, the policy controller 415 may be distinct from the gatewayrouter 420.

Further, credentials of the dynamic VPN server are sent to an entity,home or enterprise, on the network. The entity may be the enterprise401, a policy controller 415 or the user equipment. The credentials mayinclude an IP address. The credentials may include a port number. Thecredentials may include VPN client configuration parameters. Thecredentials may include client certificates.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) that maybe generated based on the methods and systems discussed herein. The GUI500 of the display interface (e.g., touch screen display) may be locatedat the VPN service provider. Here, the VPN service provider can reviewvia a portal 540 which requests have been received from an enterprise.When the VPN service provider clicks on the portal, the requests arepopulated. The VPN service provider may be able to sort the list ofrequests in order receipt. In another embodiment, the list may be sortedin order of priority.

The GUI 500 also includes a portal for requesting generation of a cloudserver by a cloud provider 550. Here, the VPN service provider can viewwhich requests have been sent to the cloud provider. This keeps track ofthe progress for server generation. In so doing, the VPN serviceprovider is aware of any requests that have not been fulfilled by one ormore of the cloud providers, e.g., IHSs. This mechanism also permits theVPN service provider to rank which cloud provider is most efficient.

The GUI also includes a list of generated cloud servers 530 and, in someembodiments, a list of users for which the servers are provisioned for.The list ensures that users in the enterprise do not have to wait toolong in order to obtain a server ultimately embedded with a VPN.

In an embodiment, the VPN service provider may provision the server tolast for predetermined period of time. Namely a specific time isselected from the user interface at prompt 510. As shown, the durationmay be in minutes, hours and/or days. The time may be manually enteredor selected from a further drop down of preselected time entries.

In another embodiment, the display may include a prompt 520 to selectduration based upon a predetermined condition. The condition may bebased on an activity. Alternatively, the condition may be based uponload balancing. In an embodiment, the duration may be a combination of aspecific time and a predetermined condition.

Another aspect of the application describes a method for enhancingsecurity on a virtual private network as illustrated in FIG. 6. First,the VPN service provider sends a request to a cloud provider to create adynamic server on a cloud (step 610). Next, the VPN service providerreceives a notification from the cloud provider that the requestedserver is available on the cloud (step 620). Thereafter, the VPN serviceprovider embeds the dynamic server with a VPN service (step 630).Subsequently, the VPN service provider sends credentials of the dynamicserver to an entity on the network. (step 640)

While the systems and methods have been described in terms of what arepresently considered to be specific aspects, the application need not belimited to the disclosed aspects. It is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadestinterpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similarstructures. The present disclosure includes any and all aspects of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: sending a request to a cloudprovider to create a server on a cloud; receiving a notification fromthe cloud provider that the server is available on the cloud; reviewing,via a graphical user interface (GUI), a continuously updated list ofavailable servers provided by the cloud provider and another cloudprovider; reviewing, via the GUI, a continuously updated list of usersin an enterprise to be matched with the available servers; determining,based on one of the users and the continuously updated list of availableservers, one of the available servers to embed a virtual private network(VPN) service; and embedding the determined available server with theVPN service.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: embeddinganother one of the available servers with another VPN service having adifferent IP address than the VPN service.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the VPN service is dynamic.
 4. The method of claim 3, whereinthe VPN service remains active until a predetermined condition is met.5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition isselected from the group consisting of an activity type, traffic type,load balancing and combinations thereof.
 6. The method of claim 5,wherein the traffic type is selected from video, voice, web andcombinations thereof.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:sending a credential of the server embedded with the VPN to theenterprise on the network.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein thecredential includes one or more of an IP address, username, password andcertificate for logging into the server.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the receiving, determining and embedding are performed by a VPNservice provider.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the VPN serviceprovider is located remote from the enterprise.
 11. A computer readablemedium comprising non-transitory instructions which when executed by aprocessor effectuate: receiving a notification from a cloud providerthat a server is available on a cloud; reviewing, via a graphical userinterface (GUI), a continuously updated list of available serversprovided by the cloud provider and another cloud provider; reviewing,via the GUI, users in an enterprise to be matched with the availableservers; determining, based on an activity type of one of the users andthe continuously updated list of available servers, one of the availableservers to embed a virtual private network (VPN) service; and embeddingthe determined available server with the VPN service.
 12. The computerreadable medium of claim 11, further comprising: embedding another oneof the available servers with another VPN service having a different IPaddress than the VPN service.
 13. The computer readable medium of claim11, wherein the VPN service is dynamic.
 14. The computer readable mediumof claim 13, wherein the VPN service remains active until apredetermined condition is met.
 15. The computer readable medium ofclaim 14, wherein the predetermined condition is selected from the groupconsisting of the activity type, a traffic type, a load balancing andcombinations thereof.
 16. The computer readable medium of claim 15,wherein the traffic type is selected from video, voice, web andcombinations thereof.
 17. The computer readable medium of claim 11,further comprising: sending a credential of the server embedded with theVPN to the enterprise on the network.
 18. The computer readable mediumof claim 17, wherein the credential includes one or more of an IPaddress, username, password and certificate for logging into the server.19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the receiving,determining and embedding are performed by a VPN service provider. 20.The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the VPN serviceprovider is located remote from the enterprise.